1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to vent and duct cleaning systems, and specifically to a vent cleaning system for removing dust from the air conditioning and heating vents and ducts of residential and commercial buildings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
House dust is widely considered by experts to pose serious health hazards to persons with allergies, asthma, or respiratory disorders and diseases, since it is known to contain dirt, textile fibers, pollen, hair, skin flakes, residue of chemical and household products, decaying organic matter, dust mites, bacteria, fungus, viruses, and a variety of other contaminants. Pounds of house dust accumulate in vents and ducts that comprise the ventilating systems of residential and commercial buildings. This house dust is becoming increasingly more harmful as Americans spend a larger percentage of their waking hours indoors.
Air filters are often placed at the intake of ventilating systems; however, such filters are often inadequate in removing the majority of the dust from the air. Filters may trap as little as twenty percent of the house dust circulating in a ventilating system, allowing the remaining dust to circulate in the household or work place.
Outbreaks of diseases have been linked to improperly maintained ventilating systems, including the outbreak of Legionaire's disease in 1976.
The current state of the art in cleaning ventilating systems comprises a two step process. First, the ventilating system is manually cleaned as far back as can be reached without taking the vent apart. In most ventilating systems, the vent can only be manually cleaned for a distance of about 12 inches from the opening. This is true, because most ventilating systems have vents that make sharp 90 degree turns very close to the vent openings.
Second, the remainder of the ventilating system is treated by coating it with a layer of water-based resin, known in the trade as "soot sealer". This compound is commonly used in fire restoration of ventilating systems.
In practice, a gauze is taped over all ventilating system openings, and a hole is cut in the plenum of the ventilating system. An electric misting fogger is mounted over and coupled to the hole. The fogger is activated and the soot sealer is dispersed throughout the ventilating system. The soot sealer forms a coating over of the inner walls of the entire vent system, encapsulating dust and other harmful impurities.
The dust is not removed from the system, rather the sealant actually forms a new interior vent surface and the dust is trapped between the vent wall and the sealant surface.
This current method has several inherent limitations. First, since the soot sealer is a water based resin, it is susceptible to dissolution if exposed to water or high humidity. Upon dissolution, the previously trapped dust is freed to circulate once again. Second, this process is relatively expensive due to the consumption of soot sealer, and the laborintensive nature of properly cleaning all vent openings, sealing all vent openings, and cutting a hole in the ventilating system plenum.